Kilburn houses daubed in red paint in latest mystery 'brothel' attack on London's streets

Locals were left “traumatised” this week when a row of houses was splattered with red and black paint in an early morning attack.

Lowfield Road in Kilburn had many of its walls covered with splashes of paint, with one resident likening it to “a murder scene”.

Graffiti also claimed that one of the seven affected properties was a brothel, in the latest of a series of mysterious attacks which have taken place across the country over the last year and a half.

More than a dozen attacks have taken place in London alone in the past 18 months, with similar incidents also occurring in Liverpool, Manchester, Bradford, Reading, Huddersfield and Clacton-on-Sea.

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Houses on Maygrove Road and Iverson Road, each just a short walk from Lowfield Road, were targeted in 2023, and a series of houses across London were attacked in March and April last year.

Experts have suggested the attacks are the work of gangsters attempting to intimidate rivals running brothels, while a UN refugee agency report in 2023 cited the splashing of red paint on doors by loan sharks associated with criminal Triad gangs to intimidate debtors when they do not pay.

A number of people with Chinese heritage are said to be among those living in properties that have been targeted in England.

The reason for the latest attack, which is said to have happened between 2am and 3am on Wednesday morning, is currently unknown, and there is no evidence to suggest the people living in the targeted houses on Lowfield Road are running brothels or are in debt to loan sharks.

One Lowfield Road resident said she had been left “traumatised” by the ordeal, which had left a Magnolia tree she planted following the pandemic covered in red paint.

The woman told the Daily Mail: “I just don't want something like this to happen to other people, or myself really.

“Things like this shouldn't happen in the first place.

It's sad that people can't respect each other in London very much.”
“All the articles are saying it's triads, and Chinese - the people that live there are Asian, and all the articles from all the previous incidents says black and red paint is a triad thing.”
Residents said they had contacted Camden Council, but that they were told the authority would not be able to help with the clean up.

The Standard spoke to Treehab Arboricultural, contractors based on Lowfield Road, who have been painting over the damage for their neighbours free of charge.

They said that, as of Friday morning, they were only two houses in, and still had a lot of work to do.

Alex, Treehab’s managing director, said that they would be painting all affected properties except the one accused of being a brothel.

He said that that property had black bags over its windows, but he did not know who owned or lived there.

Alex said: “I’ve never seen any people coming or going.

Apparently there have been some people jumping over the fence.”
None of the properties targeted by the attacks over the past 18 months have so far been formally identified as a brothel - however there have been some reports of neighbours seeing male visitors arriving at all hours, and sometimes exchanging money.

In some cases, handwritten notes have been put through nearby letterboxes, identifying the same property as a brothel.

There is a long history of the use of so-called “red paint splashing” in Hong Kong and mainland China, where it is seen as a weapon of threat and intimidation by Triad gangs, and often associated with loan-sharking and debt collecting.

Oliver Chan, an associate professor of criminology at the University of Birmingham, told The Times: “The use of red paint, instead of other-colour paints, traditionally symbolises anger and impulsion.”
“It is used to threaten or to intimidate someone they want to warn, in many instances their debtors, and is common in Chinese societies, especially in the southern part of China and neighbouring countries of major Chinese communities or societies.

“It is more commonly seen as a threat or warning to those who are in debt to loan sharks, who often operate in an organised criminal network”.

Last month, attackers were seen in Acton, West London using a hammer to smash the windows of a property and defacing it with pots of paint and motor oil, with CCTV recording them speaking in Mandarin with accents associated with northern China.

A Thai massage parlour in Ealing and a Japanese “gentlemen’s club” and karaoke bar in St John’s Wood were also targeted in separate incidents in January last year.

More recently, four houses in Colchester were targeted in an attack earlier this month, with four houses in East Bay and Brook Street daubed with the word “brothel” and arrows pointing to a house on the corner of the street.

The building, which currently operates as an Airbnb, also has a phone number scrawled on the side in red paint.

Essex Police have confirmed they are investigating, following three previously recorded incidents in the city.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Police in Camden are investigating an allegation of criminal damage after paint was thrown at neighbouring residential properties in Lowfield Road, Kilburn.

“The incident is believed to have taken place on the night of Tuesday, 14 April.

Enquiries are ongoing by local police.

At this early stage we retain an open mind regarding any motive.

We recognise the impact that incidents of this nature have on those affected and will be contacting the victims in due course.

“Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is urged to call 101 quoting CAD 3319/15April.

To remain anonymous call 0800 555 111.”
Camden Council have also been contacted for comment.